The Effects of Legal Drugs and X-Rays on Children

Even though your medication may be prescribed by a Doctor and is legal, it could be dangerous to your baby. Fortunately, after a lot of research, Doctors have discovered which medications are harmful to your baby and which ones aren't. You should also avoid X-Rays anytime during your pregnancy as you could be putting your little one's life at risk.

The Effects of Prescription DrugsDuring the development of a child, the first stage is the embryo. This is a very volatile stage because the embryo is very susceptible to damage and since the major organs are still developing it can very easily injure the baby. A prescription drug can kill the embryo easily if it enters the mothers womb. The embryo can be killed by the drugs or obtain permanent birth defects when too strong of drugs are absorbed into the body. As the embryo matures into a fetus, the drugs can have similar effects but they effects don't occur as often. The problem with prescription drugs is many side effects can be transferred to the baby. The baby can become addicted and dependent upon the drugs since it is receiving a small amount through the mother. Although many drugs are thought to be safe during pregnancy, there are no drugs that are proven to be absolutely safe. Even drugs that were taken before pregnancy could harm the growing fetus and yourself. It is important to discuss with a doctor or health care provider about what drugs are appropriate to take during pregnancy. Once the baby has been born, many birth defects can still occur over time. Physical and mental problems may occur such as mental retardation and genetic disorders such as down syndrome. Even aspirin should be avoided late in pregnancy because it thins your blood.Many commonly abused prescription drugs include: pain relievers such as vicodin, morphine, codeine and Demerol. Also, Valium is an abused drug that is used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

The Effects of X-RaysAnother problem for new mothers are X-Rays. The radiation given off by the X-Ray can permanently effect the baby. While taking under 500 chest X-Rays will not increase birth defects it could possibly increase a child's chance for cancer later in their life. During the first weeks of pregnancy the baby's main concern is to fight for its life. One X-Ray could genetically alter or damage the single cell killing the embryo. Luckily only large radiation will give the child birth defects. When the embryo develops into a fetus the baby is much less likely to die and much more likely to receive birth defects. These are caused by the radiation mutating the cells of the baby and cause severe problems in the brain. If the baby is exposed to X-Rays, once the baby comes about half way through the second trimester, this baby will have the same amount of immunity to radiation equal to an embryo. The effects on the baby can range from a lower IQ to severe cases of mental retardation. X-Rays are far worse earlier in the pregnancy than later.